Trip Suggestions (Amalfi, Rome, Venice)
May 12, 2019, 7:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
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Trip Suggestions (Amalfi, Rome, Venice)
Hey y'all, wanted to get some feedback on this upcoming trip to Italy that we are taking in June to Amalfi Coast area, Rome, and Venice. I have bolded specific questions, but feel free to give any general advice!
Arrive into Naples and hire private car to hotel in Positano (Any recommendations for a car service?)
Stay in Positano for 3 nights (we are planning to visit Capri one day, do the Walk of the gods one morning, any other recommendations for activities/dining?)
Take bus and train from Positano into Rome (staying 4 nights at St. Regis)
Fly from Rome to Venice (staying 2 nights at Gritti Palace)
Should we take a private water taxi from the airport to Gritti? I've heard it is incredible to enter this way as opposed to water bus. Any recommendations for Venice activities/restaurants?
Train from Venice to Milan and stay in 1 night for Milan before leaving back to States from Milan. Should we spend additional time in Venice or head to Milan early to maximize time there?
Arrive into Naples and hire private car to hotel in Positano (Any recommendations for a car service?)
Stay in Positano for 3 nights (we are planning to visit Capri one day, do the Walk of the gods one morning, any other recommendations for activities/dining?)
Take bus and train from Positano into Rome (staying 4 nights at St. Regis)
Fly from Rome to Venice (staying 2 nights at Gritti Palace)
Should we take a private water taxi from the airport to Gritti? I've heard it is incredible to enter this way as opposed to water bus. Any recommendations for Venice activities/restaurants?
Train from Venice to Milan and stay in 1 night for Milan before leaving back to States from Milan. Should we spend additional time in Venice or head to Milan early to maximize time there?
May 12, 2019, 7:28 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,564
One question to you: Is there any particular reason why you chose to fly from Rome to Venice? There are many train possibilities per day using a Freciarossa, which takes 3:45 hours (in addition to several more that take longer) from Termini to Santa Lucia station; thi is certainly shorter than the time you need to get from Termini to Venice flying FCO-VCE and much, much more comfortable!
May 12, 2019, 8:12 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
Oliver's Venice dining thread has some great suggestions. Help with Venice restaurants please!
My Venice dining thread is worth a read. Dining in Venice
If you can specify a bit on what you are looking for in dining in Venice the folks on the forum can really help you out.
My Venice dining thread is worth a read. Dining in Venice
If you can specify a bit on what you are looking for in dining in Venice the folks on the forum can really help you out.
Last edited by brandie; May 12, 2019 at 8:18 pm Reason: addition
May 13, 2019, 8:44 am
#4
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One question to you: Is there any particular reason why you chose to fly from Rome to Venice? There are many train possibilities per day using a Freciarossa, which takes 3:45 hours (in addition to several more that take longer) from Termini to Santa Lucia station; thi is certainly shorter than the time you need to get from Termini to Venice flying FCO-VCE and much, much more comfortable!
May 13, 2019, 10:48 am
#5
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Ciao, this sounds very much like the trip that I have planned with my family this summer (one week in Rome (that's work for me), one week outside of Sorrento and one week in Venice).
I don't know how we'll get from the train station (we're definitely taking the train ... although I suppose that there is still time to change our minds on that) to our apartment. But I am definitely thinking that a private water taxi to VCE on the morning that we leave will be the best way to go. I know that it will be expensive, but given how swiftly the iapetus family does not move in the morning, it will be worth it.
Is it too late to change this part? To me, this sounds like a PITA that is just not worth it. Can you not fly home from VCE? If not, given the amount of time you've got in Venice, I would maximize my time in Venice.
Is it too late to change this part? To me, this sounds like a PITA that is just not worth it. Can you not fly home from VCE? If not, given the amount of time you've got in Venice, I would maximize my time in Venice.
May 13, 2019, 3:03 pm
#6
Original Poster
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Posts: 161
Ciao, this sounds very much like the trip that I have planned with my family this summer (one week in Rome (that's work for me), one week outside of Sorrento and one week in Venice).
I don't know how we'll get from the train station (we're definitely taking the train ... although I suppose that there is still time to change our minds on that) to our apartment. But I am definitely thinking that a private water taxi to VCE on the morning that we leave will be the best way to go. I know that it will be expensive, but given how swiftly the iapetus family does not move in the morning, it will be worth it.
Is it too late to change this part? To me, this sounds like a PITA that is just not worth it. Can you not fly home from VCE? If not, given the amount of time you've got in Venice, I would maximize my time in Venice.
I don't know how we'll get from the train station (we're definitely taking the train ... although I suppose that there is still time to change our minds on that) to our apartment. But I am definitely thinking that a private water taxi to VCE on the morning that we leave will be the best way to go. I know that it will be expensive, but given how swiftly the iapetus family does not move in the morning, it will be worth it.
Is it too late to change this part? To me, this sounds like a PITA that is just not worth it. Can you not fly home from VCE? If not, given the amount of time you've got in Venice, I would maximize my time in Venice.
It will be a little inconvenient to go from Venice to Milan, but honestly the main reason we are doing this is because we are booked MXP-JFK in First on Emirates.
May 14, 2019, 8:52 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
We did a shared water taxi inbound to our hotel end of June 2018. https://www.viator.com/tours/Venice/...-2495VENAPTHTL. This brought down the cost but we still had the experience of flying across the water. We were the first
off the taxi. I figured worst case if we were the last off we would be flying across the water a bit longer. We had about a 15 minute wait once
we found the shared water taxi place. Viator is a "packager". It has been discussed on here before that it is better to book directly with the taxi service
but I could never figure out how to do this. The shared water taxi significantly brings down the cost. When we were there those that booked the private
water taxi also had about a 15 minute wait as reference.
For departure from hotel to airport booked a private water taxi and paid the bigger fee.
On previous trips I've done the Alilaguna with luggage and the Vaporetto with luggage. I believe the vaporetto with luggage is not recommended you
are supposed to take the Alilaguna.
Be aware that you are coming in at peak season. I was in Venice first week of July last summer/end of June. Regardless of what you book...
private water taxi, shared water taxi, or Alilaguna you will probably have a 15-20 minute wait when you show up at the docks. But it is all good!
Having done all modes of transport if you can financially swing a water taxi I'd go for it.
off the taxi. I figured worst case if we were the last off we would be flying across the water a bit longer. We had about a 15 minute wait once
we found the shared water taxi place. Viator is a "packager". It has been discussed on here before that it is better to book directly with the taxi service
but I could never figure out how to do this. The shared water taxi significantly brings down the cost. When we were there those that booked the private
water taxi also had about a 15 minute wait as reference.
For departure from hotel to airport booked a private water taxi and paid the bigger fee.
On previous trips I've done the Alilaguna with luggage and the Vaporetto with luggage. I believe the vaporetto with luggage is not recommended you
are supposed to take the Alilaguna.
Be aware that you are coming in at peak season. I was in Venice first week of July last summer/end of June. Regardless of what you book...
private water taxi, shared water taxi, or Alilaguna you will probably have a 15-20 minute wait when you show up at the docks. But it is all good!
Having done all modes of transport if you can financially swing a water taxi I'd go for it.
May 14, 2019, 9:07 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
Iapetus....consider the shared water taxi for inbound transit. The alilaguna is ok but it is kind of like a barge and is slow. The shared water taxi
will cost a bit more but the kids would love it. I've done alilaguna for outbound. It is very reliable. Or if you can swing private water taxi for outbound
it is fun too.
will cost a bit more but the kids would love it. I've done alilaguna for outbound. It is very reliable. Or if you can swing private water taxi for outbound
it is fun too.
May 14, 2019, 9:28 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
CCGeek. I have never been to Milan so I can't speak to visiting Milan but Venice is a world class destination. We were there two nights/three
days last summer and could easily have spent more time there. I believe there are frequent trains that run from Venice to Milan.
Venice will cost more money than Milan. Everything is more costly in venice because of transport. Unless I had financial constraints I'd probably
stay the extra day in Venice.
I had been to Venice before so I knew the crowds would be rough at St Marks Square and Rialto Bridge area--think crush of people at a rock concert
or crush of people at soccer/football game crowds. We walked down to St Marks Square two evenings around 8:30 pm and we walked across Rialto Bridge once going somewhere and the crowds were not bad in the evenings. Crowds are very rough during the daytime due to cruise ships. I'd been to Venice
before and I didn't like the crowds even in the off season so I told the boyfriend in advance that we'd be avoiding the guidebook top 10 kind
of things and we still had plenty and more than enough to see and do that did not have crowds. i.e. We avoided St Marks Basilica tour and Doges Palace tour. etc I figured we could come back and do that stuff in the off season without a crush of 5000 people or more.
I recommend vaporetto several day passes. You can buy them there. We did a massive amount of walking but the vaporetto was helpful covering more ground in the heat. It was nice to be able to hop on/hop off once you had the multi day pass.
At the end of my dining thread linked above I gave a review of our Venice visit last summer.
days last summer and could easily have spent more time there. I believe there are frequent trains that run from Venice to Milan.
Venice will cost more money than Milan. Everything is more costly in venice because of transport. Unless I had financial constraints I'd probably
stay the extra day in Venice.
I had been to Venice before so I knew the crowds would be rough at St Marks Square and Rialto Bridge area--think crush of people at a rock concert
or crush of people at soccer/football game crowds. We walked down to St Marks Square two evenings around 8:30 pm and we walked across Rialto Bridge once going somewhere and the crowds were not bad in the evenings. Crowds are very rough during the daytime due to cruise ships. I'd been to Venice
before and I didn't like the crowds even in the off season so I told the boyfriend in advance that we'd be avoiding the guidebook top 10 kind
of things and we still had plenty and more than enough to see and do that did not have crowds. i.e. We avoided St Marks Basilica tour and Doges Palace tour. etc I figured we could come back and do that stuff in the off season without a crush of 5000 people or more.
I recommend vaporetto several day passes. You can buy them there. We did a massive amount of walking but the vaporetto was helpful covering more ground in the heat. It was nice to be able to hop on/hop off once you had the multi day pass.
At the end of my dining thread linked above I gave a review of our Venice visit last summer.
May 14, 2019, 11:28 am
#11
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OK ... but that won't really work if we arrive by train, will it?
This is what worries me about being in Venice in July ... and why I wasn't too excited about my mother-in-law's decision to visit there. But, being a dutiful son-in-law, I shall endeavor to make the best of it. 
. I plan to strategize around all of that by, as you suggested above brandie, staying away from places like Saint Mark's Square when the cruise ships are docked and focusing on more out-of-the-way parts of town (those will interest us more anyway). And I think I will find it interesting to see how food and culture differ from what I know in Rome.
I had been to Venice before so I knew the crowds would be rough at St Marks Square and Rialto Bridge area--think crush of people at a rock concert
or crush of people at soccer/football game crowds. We walked down to St Marks Square two evenings around 8:30 pm and we walked across Rialto Bridge once going somewhere and the crowds were not bad in the evenings. Crowds are very rough during the daytime due to cruise ships.
or crush of people at soccer/football game crowds. We walked down to St Marks Square two evenings around 8:30 pm and we walked across Rialto Bridge once going somewhere and the crowds were not bad in the evenings. Crowds are very rough during the daytime due to cruise ships.
. I plan to strategize around all of that by, as you suggested above brandie, staying away from places like Saint Mark's Square when the cruise ships are docked and focusing on more out-of-the-way parts of town (those will interest us more anyway). And I think I will find it interesting to see how food and culture differ from what I know in Rome.
May 14, 2019, 12:38 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 188
How is your MIL's (and everyone else’s ) mobility?
I was there in February and it was fine to walk anywhere. However, Venice is not for people who have problems walking. Take one wrong turn and you could walk WAY out of your way. I walked 10 miles the first day as I was getting used to the (google) map and knowing when to turn. If you think you should turn but the calle is really skinny and you think the next oneup will be wider and get you to the same place, probably not. I made many wrong turns. By day two, I had it figured out and walked half that.
Some streets (calli) are very skinny, some are dead-ends, some are wide. I cannot imagine being there when there are 75,000 extra people there. I assume there will be people trying to walk in both directions in the skinny calli. You might get claustrophobic!
I’m not trying to talk you out of Venice, but be prepared.
I was there in February and it was fine to walk anywhere. However, Venice is not for people who have problems walking. Take one wrong turn and you could walk WAY out of your way. I walked 10 miles the first day as I was getting used to the (google) map and knowing when to turn. If you think you should turn but the calle is really skinny and you think the next oneup will be wider and get you to the same place, probably not. I made many wrong turns. By day two, I had it figured out and walked half that.
Some streets (calli) are very skinny, some are dead-ends, some are wide. I cannot imagine being there when there are 75,000 extra people there. I assume there will be people trying to walk in both directions in the skinny calli. You might get claustrophobic!
I’m not trying to talk you out of Venice, but be prepared.
May 14, 2019, 2:03 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
May 14, 2019, 2:13 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
Another resource but does not have shared water taxi listed https://www.venicelink.com/en/products/watertaxi
May 14, 2019, 2:33 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AA gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 160
Iapetus, you may do better, i.e. cheaper, having a private water taxi since you are 5 people.
This is one of the water taxi companies https://www.motoscafivenezia.it/en/information.php
This is one of the water taxi companies https://www.motoscafivenezia.it/en/information.php
